Man has understood his connection to nature since the beginning of time. The ancient Neanderthals had a poor method of communication; our only record of their trials and existence are the drawings that have been preserved in caves. Yet, despite their inability to comprehend complex ideas, their paintings contain innumerable images of animals and plants. The Native Americans believed that they were spiritually connected to the earth, using pieces of nature as symbols in their writing and performing ceremonies that honored animals and “Mother Earth.” As time passed, people forgot these things, believing that the earth and its resources were there solely for human consumption. They forgot that they must live in a mutually peaceful existence with the earth, rather than try to harness it and control it for their own gain. In Stanley Moss’s poem “Lost Brother,” he brings the reader to an understanding, a realization that man has an unmistakable bond with nature, one that never has and never will be broken. One of the very first things that Moss does is associate himself with the tree by saying that it was his “lost brother,” which happens to also be the title of the poem. With these two words, the poet speaks multitudes. He brings the close familiarity of a brother to the relationship between him and the tree, a few lines later stating that “[they] had the same mother.” Immediately he draws us into an understanding that we are as closely connected to the earth as the tree is and that, in fact, we come from the same beginnings. The fact that his brother is “lost” refers to two different interpretations of the phrase: the literal interpretation, which tells of how the tree was cut down, and the figurative notion that the tree, standing as a metaphor for all nature, was lost long ago to human forgetfulness and destruction. This is supported by his next line “at four thousand eight hundred sixty-two years,” which connotes an incredible length of time, both in the large number itself and in the spelling out of the number instead of simply writing it in its numeral form. Again, the poet helps us to realize how very deep and long-standing our connection is with the earth and how our selfish human nature has caused us to forget how important we are to each other’s survival. The rest of the poem, where Moss relates the story that he created when he saw the image of the tree, is a serene and beautiful depiction of the diversity of human life. In the beginning of the poem, he established the close relation of man and nature, and he reinforces his point by describing himself as “a bristlecone,” the same as his brother the evergreen that was cut down. The poet then speaks of the characteristics of the tree, about its resilience and the beauty that surrounded it. This is easily translated into a human life, one that reflects upon the poets own. He continues with the tree’s diverse company, using soft alliteration to create a euphonious description of the “the rosy finch, the rock wren, the raven and clouds” that surround the great evergreen. If this one tree is one man, then the delicate finch must be another and the bighorn sheep another. Just as in nature, every human has a specific purpose that makes them of value and worth, which in turn makes them beautiful. The tree stands as a reminder that the earth will stay strong, that it will adapt to change and recover from disaster, just as humans will. Each animal or plant was created for a reason and in merely watching their unique actions and, yes, personalities one can see the magnificence and the eternity of nature. Moss’s final phrases are an expression of the inevitable. He will die, just as the tree did. In the end we all must return from where we came, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Yet we must not forget that we are forever bonded to this earth on which we live and that we are no different from the other creatures that inhabit it. We must coincide with nature or we will destroy it, and if we destroy the place that we originated, what will happen to humanity?